


fire/aflame

by kiden



Series: still care about mixtapes [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Canonical Character Death, M/M, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-08-11 11:20:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20152753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiden/pseuds/kiden
Summary: "It’s not him anymore. Steve knows that."here be some tumblr prompt fills





	fire/aflame

It’s not him anymore. Steve knows that. 

His thumb draws along the seared edges of Tony’s skin. Down his forehead, along the curve of his eye and cheek, and he’s still warm under Steve’s hand when he cups his jaw. There’s not any life left in him. It’s radiation, probably. A side effect of the stones. It doesn’t matter. 

His skin is warm and Steve gets to touch him, for the first and last time. He doesn’t know if Tony would have given this to him, if he’d have allowed it, so Steve’s mindful not to take too much. A brush of his fingers, that’s all. An apology and a confession and a goodbye. 

There were more years wasted between them than not. The shadow years after the accords. The silent, gray ones after the snap. The distance they chose, every single time, roads not traveled and phones uncalled and the fights they fought alone. But already they’re losing their color in Steve’s memory, leaving behind only the brightest days. 

Tony half-asleep in the early morning, nudging Steve away from the coffee machine, with a sly grin and wink, so he could abscond with the entire pot from the rest of the team. Pulling off his gauntlets, on the Quinjet after a battle, to run his bare hands over Clint’s ribs and back, checking for injuries. The jokes to put Bruce at ease. The teasing affection between him and Nat. The open adoration for Rhodey,  _ sweetcheeks, honey-bear, baby boy.  _

It was disorienting how quickly he’d learned to jump and trust that Iron Man would catch him before he hit the ground. And once Steve started to fall, he kept falling, and falling, his heart always leaping before his head. Steady on solid ground everywhere else but with Tony. 

It’s not him anymore. Steve knows that. Tony is gone, and soon Steve will be too. There’s no one else he wants to catch him.


End file.
